Better Days
by kiwi the almighty
Summary: Seth Skyler is threatening Draco's authority in school by befriending the golden trio and challenging his reputation. Ginny finds herself drawn closer to Draco and Seth! Can Draco uncover Seth's true intention for coming to Hogwarts and save his school?DG


**Better Days**

**A/N:** Some of you might recognise this story from Have I Got News For You story I wrote ages ago. Anyhoo the first two chapters are the same but I decided to change the whole entire plot! I thought the first story plot line was too easy to guess.

Anyhoo, this IS my first D/G fic so please be nice.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own any of the Harry Potter characters so don't sue me man. I'm broke!

**Chapter One: The Encounter**

A new start. A new year. Ginny Candice Weasley held her head up high as she boarded the train with the sign reading out 9 ¾. She ignored the looks people were giving her, knowing only too well that they were talking about her shabby clothes and second hand state of books. She was used to that. Ever since her second year people had been making fun of her and some were even scared of even talking to her since the events of the Chamber of Secrets. They called her awful names and poked fun at her. A girl even came up and accused her of being a Slytherin. A SLYTHERIN!

And ever since then, she'd been alone. She had no close friends around her and the Dream Team were too busy getting themselves into more trouble in order to save- the- world.

She had enough of it. The trio didn't notice her and Harry didn't even glance her way. Ah, Harry. The boy who Lived. The boy she fell in love with but he would never return her feelings. She knew that.

Ginny found herself an empty apartment and sat inside it, alone. Looking outside, she noticed that it started to rain. _Such a pity. It's an awful start to the year_. She thought.

She didn't even realised that someone opened the sliding door.

" Hey Draco I found one. It's empty" came an unknown voice.

Something caught in Ginny throat and felt tears threatening to fall. _It's empty._ Was she truly that none existent that people didn't even realise her presence? She continued to stare outside the fogged up window.

" Blaise I thought you said it was empty!" Came a harsh voice.

Blaise shrugged, " I thought it was." He snickered.

Ginny resisting the urge, turned round to face the other two occupants. Her mouth dropped. In front of her were two Slytherins. And not just any Slytherins but Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, _the _Slytherin Sex Gods!

" Aw...cat got your tongue Weasley?" Draco Malfoy sneered in malice.

Ginny dropped her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

" No. Sorry"

_Sorry? _Draco thought in shock. This had to be a first, a Weasley not fighting back. Where was her fire?

Blaise not noticing anything walked lazily to one of the seats and slouched down and yawned.

" So.." he started, " who are you?" he eyed, looking a Ginny.

Ginny blushed.

" She's a Weasley" Draco interrupted coldly, annoyed that they had to talk to her. _Her._ Why should he waste his time with filth? She was a disgrace to purebloods all around.

Ginny shrivelled under his glare as he sat himself opposite her. She didn't dare look at him. She was afraid of what she'd see. Anger, disgust? But she was all used to that already.

"I'm Ginny" Ginny replied in a whisper.

" Huh, what?" Both boys said in unison, confused at what she said.

" You asked who I was," she whispered slowly, turning her gaze to the floor.

Draco looked annoyed.

"Yeah I know that. That's what I said Weasley or is your head to thick with mongoose shit?"

Blaise laughed at Draco's joke and cast his eyes onto the small girl. She looked like she was about to cry. _Well too bad,_ he thought.

Ginny silently shook her head.

" No, you called me Weasley. My name is Ginny," she emphasized.

" I know that!" Draco snapped back at her.

" I didn't" Blaise replied in boredom as if the news were as important as an out of date coffee.

Ginny bit her lip and kept her head down, not wanting to cause more fuss. There was no point telling them her name. They only saw her as a Weasley and the younger sister of the Boy-Who-Lived best friend. She desperately wanted someone to acknowledge her for who she was, no matter whom that person might be.

She looked out of the window and noticed that the rain had begun to come down in buckets. This truly was a miserably day to start the year.

" So Draco what did you do during the holidays?" Ginny heard Blaise ask.

" The usual crap. Father wanted to me finally meet the Dark Lord"

Ginny jumped at this and turned round to face Draco.

" Your father wanted you to meet Vol…Voldemort?" she asked in surprise.

Draco looked at her as if she were stupid.

" Gosh Weasley are you really _that_ slow today? Of course he wanted me to Voldemort"

" But why?" she exclaimed, not knowing why she wanted to know so badly.

" Oh I don't know. To sit down and have a cup of tea maybe," Draco replied sarcastically.

" He wants you to get the dark mark doesn't he? Your father?" Ginny said more to herself than to Draco.

Draco looked sour. " Yeah, that's what he wants"

" And you'll get it won't you?"

Draco looked angry. " Look Weasley, just because some of us might be Slytherins and has fathers for Death Eaters doesn't necessarily mean that we want to be a Death Eaters too!"

Ginny was stunned. She never thought of that before. She had always presumed that all Slytherins were evil.

" So you _won't _get the mark then will you?" she asked attentively, keeping her voice low.

Draco suddenly looked tired, random strands of blonde hair covered his grey eyes.

" No Weasley, I don't wish to get the dark mark" he said tired, " but my father will make me. There's no doubt about that"

Ginny sighed and noticed that Draco looked suddenly sick. She knew that his father was a cunning man and extremely dangerous to mess with. She shivered as she remembered her days during first year. Lucius was the one who slipped that book into her cauldron and caused the up stir in Hogwarts with the Chamber of Secrets being opened. No, Lucius was not the type of man you wanted to mess with and what he wanted he got. Ginny almost felt sorry for Draco, having a father like that and not being able to do anything for free will. Ginny suddenly felt miserable. She felt bad for Draco.

" Don't pity me Weasley. I don't need your sympathy" Draco snapped at her as if he had just read her mind.

" But" she protested but subsided after meeting Draco's glare.

Ginny sat in silence. Neither one of the three were talking. Draco was too moody to speak to Blaise and Blaise looked well scared of Draco's temper to say anything back. Ginny on the other hand was lost in her own thoughts, which were of Malfoy. _Was it that bad to rebel against your father? _She thought. _Couldn't he escape or do_ _something else?_ Then something lit up in her mind, which made her smile.

"Malfoy!" She squealed, breaking the silence.

" What?" he asked tonelessly.

" Why don't you tell Dumbledore!" she said delightfully, " why not work for good? You can be a spy!"

Draco looked at the young girl whose eyes were sparkling with happiness. The idea of being a spy was completely unheard of. A Malfoy would never sink that low to ever become a spy. Not matter what side it was. And the fact of working for the Order of Good was enough to make his stomach wrench.

" I would not" he replied coldly.

Ginny's excitement dropped.

" Why?"

" Because it is absolutely ridiculous"

" Why?"

" What is it with you and asking the word _why_?" Draco snapped at her.

" I was only trying to help" Ginny said slowly. She could faintly hear Draco making a noise that resembled like a snort.

" And _why_ might I ask, would you do that?" He asked sarcastically, glaring at her.

Ginny's shoulder's dropped. She was speechless. She didn't know why she badly wanted to help him. _Because no one should be forced into doing something they don't want to do, no matter who they are _her mind told her.

" I don't know," she said, telling the truth. She found it suddenly unbearable to look at him in the eye, " I just wanted to help"

Draco snorted. " It doesn't matter if you wanted to help or not. I mean, what am I suppose to say? I Draco Malfoy would love to fight for good and sing songs and dance with everyone? Please." He exaggerated.

" People wouldn't care who you are, as long as you want to fight for good"

" Right, like Scar Face and Weasel will forgive me and invite me round for a cup of tea"

" Well, they'll just take some time getting used to you. Besides it wouldn't matter if you were simply fighting for good."

" That's the point Weasley. I don't want to fight for good! How will that benefit me?" Draco said as if it were the most obvious thing in life.

Ginny tilted her head down and looked at her floor. She felt her cheeks slightly burning from embarrassment. Of course, why didn't she think of it before? Malfoy would never do something if it benefited him in the long run.

" Is that all that matters to you?" she asked courteously.

" Of course it does. You should know that money and power is what makes this world go round. Then again, considering that you're a Weasley, you've probably never seen a galleon in your entire life" Draco replied harshly.

Ginny bit her lip. She wanted to be furious but found herself being sad instead.

" You know Malfoy. You don't need money to live a good life. As long as you have your friends and people who love you, nothing else matters"

Draco snorted.

" Do you really believe that?" he asked.

" Yes" Ginny nodded her head vigorously.

" Well then, where are these so called friends of yours? Looking for you? Probably not. Chances are they've _forgotten_ about you" Draco replied enthusiastically and smirked.

Ginny felt her eyes burning. She knew that he was right. Where was her so called friends? The golden trio forgot about her and no one in her year would speak to her. What happened to Anna, her so called best friend? She only became her friend to find out inside information on Harry. No one seemed to like her or wanted to be her friend. She was only an accessory to them. She desperately wanted to cry right there. But the fact of letting Malfoy and Zabini see her cry was shameful.

" You're right," she said, eyes filling with tears, " I have no friends"

Draco rolled his eyes as if it were the obvious thing in the world and Blaise looked slightly uneasy.

"No one liked me after first year. They all said I was weird. That I was _evil. _Can you believe it, me being evil? No one else bothered to talk to me in my second year except for those who wanted to know Harry through me. Can you believe it? Using me-

" Weasley will you shut up!" Draco broke in harshly, " I don't give a damn about your life"

" Oh," Ginny said, unable to think of words, " I'm sorry"

Just then, the sliding door opened and an elderly woman came in with a trolley.

" Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked politely.

Ginny looked down. She had no money and she knew it. She suddenly felt her cheeks burning and turned round to face the window to cover her shame.

Blaise who had noticed this smiled sympathetically to the girl. _It must be so hard living without money or friends _he thought to himself.

" I'll have one of those multi coloured rain drops and half a dozen of those chocolate frogs" he said.

" And I'll have some of those Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans" Draco said waving a dismissive hand to her.

" Rightio boys. And what would the young lady like?" the woman asked.

Ginny turned round and turned a shade of scarlet.

"I'll have nothing," she mumbled.

" Nonsense" she said dismissively, " I'm sure that these kind gents wont let you starve on your way to Hogwarts"

" Well there not really my- she began but was cut off.

" Boyfriends are they? My, what a pick" she said winking at her.

Ginny felt herself turn completely red in embarrassment.

" She is not my girlfriend!" Draco replied icily, " Like I would ever go out with a low class Weasley who is an embarrassment to all wizarding world."

The woman turned slightly pale in the face and Ginny grew even more embarrassed. A rosy tint formed on the woman's face.

" Ah, I see. My mistake. Must be off now" with that she closed the sliding door and left an angry Malfoy behind, a bewildered Blaise and a miserable Ginny alone to think of what she had just said.

" Can you believe that?" Blaise said, finally speaking up, " us being _her_ boyfriends? What would your father think?"

Draco smirked.

" He would die of shock. Then Avada Kedavra me"

Blaise snickered. " How can he Avada Kedavra you after he dies?" he asked innocently but in a mocking way.

Draco shrugged. " Dunno but believe me, he'll find a way"

Blaise snickered and opened an untouched chocolate frog. He saw Ginny eying his food lustfully from the corner of his eye. He decided to ignore her. Why should he start helping that little Weaslette? She was practically vermin in the eyes of all the purebloods and how dare she sink that low to love muggles? That was unheard of! Purebloods did not associate with muggles. She truly was giving the purebloods a bad name.

Draco however, noticed the envious look the little Weaslette were giving them.

" Damn Weasley, doesn't anyone in your family feed you? Watching you eying our food like a lustrous whore is disgusting," he snapped.

Ginny blinked her eyes and saw Draco glaring at her. "Oh, sorry" she replied.

" Whatever" Draco replied uncaringly as he started to open a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans.

Ginny turned her head. She couldn't take it. The food was too tempting and she knew that she wouldn't get any food even if she asked. Then again, her pride would never allow her to ask food from Slytherins. She'd rather starve. But still, she was very hungry. _Damn you hunger. Damn you to hell_ she thought.

Draco chucked a red coloured bean in the air and caught it in his mouth but then he started to gag.

"Yuck!" he said in repulsion, " taste like rhubarb!" that was one fruit he never wanted to taste again! He shuddered at the memories of his mother trying to feed him rhubarb when he was three. It was not a pretty sight.

Blaise smirked at him as he ate his chocolate frog.

"Unlucky man. At least it wasn't blood. Just imagine that. Trying to eat blood. That would definitely taste weird!"

" You can't eat blood man" Draco replied sniggering.

Blaise shrugged his shoulder.

" You know what I mean"

Ginny couldn't help herself as she felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. She didn't mean to eavesdrop but it wasn't like she couldn't, she was in the same compartment!

She imagined what it would be like tasting blood. _It must be horrible_ she thought. But still, she would love to see Draco's reaction to tasting blood!

Now that Ginny thought of it, these Slytherin Gods weren't so bad company. They didn't really insult her badly, unlike some other people did and they didn't seem to mind being in her presence. Even though it might have been out of desperation, they didn't seem revoltingly disgusted by her. Ginny smiled. She felt happy by that thought.

" Here," Draco said throwing an untouched packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans to Ginny.

Ginny caught it, looking startled. She shot him a questioning look.

Draco relaxed further back into the seat looking comfortable as he stole one of Blaise' chocolate frogs and received death glares from him.

" You were hungry" was all he said but that was enough to make Ginny's day shine bright.

" Thank you" she replied meaningfully. These Slytherin Gods truly weren't that bad company she thought.

" Never knew you had a heart Draco?" Blaise said teasingly.

Draco rolled his eyes, " Whatever Zabini"

" So," Ginny said, trying to join in with the conversation. Two pairs of cold eyes stared back at her, " looking forward to this year?" she asked pathetically. She knew that her question was pretty lame but that was the first thing that came into her mind.

Blaise groaned and slapped his head, " We have to do our OWLS this year don't we?" he said in a matter of fact.

" Yup" Draco replied and took something out of his pocket.

It was a Head Boy badge.

" You became Head Boy?" Ginny squealed in surprise, peering over his shoulder to get a better look.

" Of course I did," he replied smugly, " how couldn't this gorgeous, most helpful, most smartest and did I mention most nicest guy aka me not get this badge?" he asked rolling his eyes at her.

Ginny laughed. For once she felt happy and a part of something. She knew that Draco was her brother and his best's friend's enemy but it didn't mean that he was her enemy too and vice versa. After all, she couldn't recall Draco ever doing something mean to her. It was always the childish insults, the " Weaslette" the " poor loving Mubloods" but never something so harsh. She realized that he only insulted her because she was one of his enemy's younger sister. That was the only foundation why he was mean to her. _Maybe if I weren't a Weasley_ she thought, _would he be nice to me?_

The sliding door suddenly opened and all three heads turned round.

" What are you doing to my sister!" Ron Weasley accused loudly as he strode into the compartment, his face turning red with anger.

Draco and Blaise looked at him innocently.

"Nothing" they stated in unison.

Ron turned angrier, " What did you do to her! Ginny did they do anything to you? If you did anything to my younger sister I will hex you to oblivion you!" Ron bellowed.

" Yeah" Harry replied as well pointing his wand at Draco.

Draco eyed the wand and smugly brushed it off with his hand.

" What do you want Pothead?" he sneered, " as far as I recall its you who's causing all the fuss here. Ginny, Blaise and I were having a nice chat till _you_ came in"

" How dare you call my sister Ginny!" Ron raged, "Only her friends are allowed to call her that and you are not her friend!"

" Says who?" Draco asked smugly.

" Says my sister!"

" I do not!" Ginny butted in.

Ron, Harry and Hermione stared at her with shock. Blaise had an arrogant look to his face and Draco looked triumph. Ginny blushed.

" Ginny do you know what you're saying?" Hermione asked with a concerned voice, "did they give you any weird potions or that sort?"

" Yeah" Harry replied now pointing his wand at Ginny.

" Harry quit pointing that bloody wand at my sister!" Ron shouted angrily.

" Yeah" Harry replied.

Everyone looked at him strangely.

" Um, okay" Draco said cutting the silence.

" Listen," Blaise intervened between the fight. He was tired of this and they hadn't even reached Hogwarts yet, " We didn't do anything to your sister okay? I mean, why would we? She isn't much to look at"

The trio looked angered by this and Ginny blushed furiously.

Blaise continued, " but we don't mind her company. At least it's better than yours Weasley, and on that note you gotta learn better manners. No wonder you're so poor"

Draco sniggered and looked at Ron coldly. He took over.

" So why don't you, Pothead and Mudblood leave us alone. We don't want you here contaminating this compartment with your Mudblood filth," he said arrogantly.

" You'll pay for that Malfoy!" Ron replied looking furious.

" Yeah" Harry replied too. Now pointing his wand at himself.

Draco looked at him with disgust, " Will you shut up Potter"

"Look" Ginny said, tired that everyone was leaving her out. After all this fight was about her right? She might as well get a say in it.

She grabbed hold of Ron's shirt and dragged him out of the compartment whilst saying to everyone, " They didn't do anything bad to me okay? On the contrary they were quite nice"

Hermione gasped, " Do you know what you're talking about Ginny?" she asked frantically.

Ron and Harry couldn't believe their ears either.

" They are Slytherin scums Ginny," Ron stated, " They are not nice"

" Yeah" Harry said.

Ginny glared at Harry and Ron. Would Ron stop telling her whom she should be friends with and would Harry stop that annoying "yeah" thing. It was driving her crazy!

" I can be friends with whoever I want Ronald Weasley and you have no right to tell me who to like and not!" she hissed in his ear but was loud enough for everyone to hear, " Let's go," she said.

"Weaslette" Draco called out.

Ginny turned round to face him, a surprise look on her face. The golden trio was glaring at him. Draco smirked at them.

" Don't forget this," he said as he chucked the packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans, which Ginny was using, back to her.

Ginny caught it and mouthed a "thank you" to Draco as she walked out of the compartment and closed the sliding door.

" Now what was that all about?" Blaise asked once they were alone.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. " Beats me" he replied.

" You don't like the little Weaslette now do you?" Blaise asked in a mocking voice.

Draco narrowed his eyes towards him.

" Why would I? She's nothing to look at. She's only handy to provoke that stupid trio."

Blaise smiled sinisterly and Draco grinned.

" Why not get close to her to destroy the trio?" Blaise suggested with a gleam in his eye.

Draco snickered, " I was thinking just that"

0000

" What were you doing consorting with the enemy!" Ron pointed an accusing finger towards his sister.

Ginny sighed. She knew that they would want an explanation soon and would stop at nothing till they got it.

" You," Hermione said in a quiet voice, " have a lot of explaining to do"

Then Harry spoke, " Yeah"

There you go people! I hoped you liked it. That was the first instalment to this story and I'll try and update soon :) and I'm sorry if I've got any grammar or spelling mistakes. I'll change it once I find it!

Remember to **review **as well! It's very much appreciated.

Ps. Is rhubarb a fruit or a veg….or something else? I really don't know. If it isn't a fruit, I'd like to say sorry in advance and I'll change it ASAP! -


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